Mail-crane hook.



No. 663,237. Patented Dec. 4, I900. N. MCQUEEN.

MAIL CRANE HOOK.

Appl cat on fil dMayS 1900) (No Model.)

Witnesses.

IS wzrsns c0. maTo-Lrma, vusummon. o, c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEILL MCQUEEN, OF JOHNSTON STATION, GEORGIA.

MAIL-CRANE HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,237, dated December 4, 1900.

Application filed May 3, 1900. Serial No.15A34. (N model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NEILL MCQUEEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Johnston Station, in the county of Liberty and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Mail- Crane Hook to be Used on Mail-Cranes for Hanging Pouches, of which the following is a specification.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to mail-crane hooks which are adapted to support the usual rings or other hangers attached to mailpouches which are to. be caught by the catchers of a passing train. It is common in such devices to provide the mail pouch or sack with a ring at each end, which rings are adapted to be supported by hooks connected to a beam or beams in position, so that a passing train can by a catcher detach the pouch from its supporting-hooks, and thus pick up the mailpouch without stopping the train.

It is the object of my invention to provide 7 a mail-crane hook of simple and improved construction not easily broken or put out of order; and to these ends my invention consists of the parts and improvements, as will be hereinafter described, and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved mail-crane hook separate from the supporting beam or crane. Fig. 2 is a section thereof on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view thereof looking upon the catch 3.

The body portion 1 of the hooks preferably consists of a casting having projecting arms A A, provided with holes a CL, by which they may be secured, by means of screws or otherwise, to a beam or crane arm. Projecting from the portion 1 of the book are the hingelngs a a, between which fit the projecting lug a of the yielding hook-carrier 2, the said lugs being joined as a hinge by the bolt a secured at one end by a nut a. It will be noticed that the lug a is not the full length between the lugs a a, the part thereof surrounding the bolt a being cutaway, as at 19, leaving a projecting flange 19 between the bolt and body portion 1 and to provide a space on the bolt for the spring I), the ends of which bear on the inclined walls a at of the body portion 1, the construction, as will be obvious, being such that while the yielding hook-carrier 2 may turn on the bolt a yet it is normally held in the position shown by Fig. 2, and

when moved or turned on the bolt from this position it will be returned to said position by the projecting flange b engaging one of the arms 12 b of the spring I). It will be noticed that I have inclined or beveled the sides of the body portion at a and the yielding hook-carrier at a a. to thereby allow sufficient play in turning of the parts on the hinge-bolt a The hook-carrier is preferably made fiat on the side opposite the hinge and l is there provided with the lugs d to receive a bolt d, on which the hook 5 is pivoted, the pivoted end of said hook being provided with beveled portions (1 01 against which bears the free end of a spring 61 to hold the hook normally closed or open, as will be clear.

The hook 3 is provided near its end with a hole e, into which takes a pin or stud 6 when the hook e is in position to hold the mailpouch, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The main body portion 1 is secured to the supporting beam orcrane,and the mailpouchsupporting devices are placed between the pin 6 and the hinge of the hook, the spring (1 normally holding the hook open to permit the mail-pouch-snpporting device to be placed in position and then holding it closed to yieldingly retain the same. It will be obvious that a sudden pull or jerk against the hook will relieve the mail-pouch and without danger of injuring the same or the mail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mail-crane hook comprising a body portion having provisions for securing it to a beam or crane and lugs a a projecting from the end thereof, a hook-carrier hinged to said lugs, a spring to normally hold the hook-carrier in position, a spring-hook hinged at one end to said hook-carrier, and provided with a holein its free end, the said hook-carrier having a pin or lug adapted to engage said hole when the hook is in its supporting position.

2. A mail-crane hook comprising a body portion having provisions for securing it to a beam or crane and lugs 00' ct projecting from the end thereof, a hook-carrier hinged to said lugs, a spring to normally hold the hook-carrier in position, a spring-hook hinged at one end to said hook-carrier, and provided with to acrane or beam, lugs projecting from said body portion, a hook-carrier provided with a lug having a projecting portion, a bolt connecting the lugs of the body and hook-carrier, a spring on said bolt having its ends engaging the. body portion and adapted to be engaged by the projecting portion of the hookcarrier,.a spring-hook mounted on the carrier, and provided with a hole, a pin or stud onv the carrier adapted to be engaged by the hole in the free end of the hook.

' NEILL MCQUEEN. Witnesses:

EUGENE B. RIMEs, R. L. HORNE. 

